Camping cot



March 16 1926.

, M, A. DAVIS CAMPING COT Filed Feb.

5 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 16 1926. 1,577,205

M. A. DAVIS CAMPING CQT Fil 5, 1924 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFIQE.

CAMPING GOT.

Application filed February 5, 1924. Serial 1T0. 690,691.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MANsELL A. DAVIS, a

citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented cercan be readily transported, and also constructed so that it may be quickly unfolded and set up, or as quickly taken down and folded. Thecot, while strong and durable, is relatively light so that it may be easily handled by one person.

In carrying out the invention, I form the side bars and end posts of the cot of channeled steel, each side bar being composed of two sections pivotally connected together and arranged so that they will fold one within the other, the channeled faces of the sections being arranged face to face, so that the two sections, when folded, form a structure resembling a longitudinally split square tube. The end posts are hinged to the sections of the side. bars and fold so as to enclose the backs of the bars, forming extensions of the tubular structure. Sectional tierods are pivotally. connected to the lower of the cot are connected by folding cross bars which hold the posts in parallel relation, and a fabric for supporting the mattress is provided with end bars which engage the tops of the posts, these end bars serving to secure the fabric to the frame and serving also as means for spacing the posts at opposite sides of the cot apart, when the cot is set up.

In the accompan ing drawing, Fig. 1 is an end evation of the cot frame, folded;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; V

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the frame partly unfolded;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the frame with the side rails spread apart and the end posts unfolded, and with the mattress fabric applied to the posts prior to straightening the side rails;

Fig. 5 is a section showing the detachable connection between one of the angle bars of the fabric and one of the end posts;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the cot set up; and,

FFig. 6 is asection on the line 6 -6 of Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, of the drawing, a and 1) indicate the'side rails of the cot, each composed of channeled. bars in two sections, 1 and 2, the sections 2 being of slightly less width than sections 1, so that the sections 2 may fold within the sections 1. One end of the section 2 of each side-rail is pivoted within the section 1, as shown at 3, and the end portion 1 of the section 1 pro jects beyond the pivotal point and is adapted to overlap the section 2, when the cot is setup, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The end posts 4 and 5, associated with each side rail, are of slightly greaterwidth than the sections of the side rail, and the ends of these sections are pivoted within the posts, as shown at 6 and 7. When the end posts are folded, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, their end portions above their pivotal points fit aroundthe backs and sides of the rail sections and the posts extend parallel with one another and with the rail sections. As shown in the section, Fig. 3, the rail sections when folded form an angular tube, split longitudinally, one part of the tube fitting within the other, and the posts form a continuation of this tube, although the edges of the posts do not telescope or fit one within the other.

Tie-rods 0, each composed of two sections 8 and 9, pivoted end to end at 10, are secured to the lower parts of the pairs of posts 4--5 by pivots 11 and 12. The ends of these tie-rods extend within the posts and are pivoted to the sides thereof, as shown, and when the cot is folded, these rods are enclosed within the tubes formed by the side rail sections and posts, as shown by the sectional view, Fig. 3. When the side rail sections are pulled apart, as shown in Fig. 4, the tie-rods also unfold, as illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. Chains 13, or other flexible connections, extend from the joints in the tie-rods through key-hole slots 14 in the side sections 1, adjacent the joints in the side rails, and these flexible connections also are enclosed within the side rails when the latter are folded.

The end portions 8, 9, of the rods 8 and 9 are offset laterally in opposite directions, as shown, so that they may be attached to opposite sides or flanges of the channeled post-s 1 and 5, respectively. This is to avoid twisting strains which would occur at the pivotal points 3 in the side bars, when the cot is set up, if the tie-rods were connected to the same sides or flanges of the end posts.

It is to be noted that the overlapping ends 1 of the sections 1 of the side bars are indented, as shown at 1". The purpose of this is to provide depressed parts or stops at the extremities of said ends which will rest upon the parts 2 of the bars and hold the two parts of the bars at a slight upward angle to one another when the bars are straightened and before downward pressure is applied to the joints in the bars. lVhcn this downward pressure is applied, in setting up the cot, the sag in the bars will be off-set by the stops referred to and the bars will be prevented from assuming downward angles at the joints.

. The end posts 4- at one end of the frame are connected together by crossed sectional rods (Z, d, which hold the posts parallel with one another. As shown, the rod (Z comprises a relatively long section 15, pivotally connected at 16, to the lower end of one of the posts H, and a shorter section 15, pivotally connected at 17, to the upper end of the opposing post 4. The rod d comprises a relatively long section 18, pivoted at 19 to the lower end of the latter post and the section 18*, pivotally connected at 20, to the upper end of the opposing post. The two rods are pivotally connected together at 21. The posts 55 at the op posite end. of the frame are similarly'connected by pivoted sectional rods (Z, d.

The method of folding and unfolding the cot is shown by the drawings. In order to unfold the frame, the side rails a?;, Fig. 1, may be pulled apart and the sections of the side rails may then be unfolded. Fig. 4 shows the side rails spread apart a short distance and partly unfolded. By further unfolding the sections of the side rails, the tie-rods 0 will also be unfolded and the posts. which are pivoted to the side rails and con nected at their lower ends to the tie-rods, will assume the vertical position shown in Fig. 5. The side rails with their connected posts may then be spread apart forthe distance permitted by the rods d, (l', which, in the unfolded positions of the parts, form diagonal connections between the tops and bottoms of the posts at each end of the frame.

The fabric which supports the mattress is then applied to the tops of the-posts.

This fabric is provided at its ends with angle bars 6, which are adapted to rest upon the posts, and these angle bars are provided with projections 22, which enter openings 23 in the upper ends of the posts at i the outer sides thereof. These angle bars hold the posts rigidly apart.

After the fabric has been applied to the frame, as shown in Fig. 5, a downward pressure upon the parts 1 of the side rails will cause the side rails to bear outwardly against the posts 4-5, which pressure will be resisted by the fabric at the tops of the posts and by the tie-rods c, atthe bottom of the posts, the tie-rods assuming a horizontal position when the side rails are pressed to a horizontal position. The chains 13 are then pulled upwardly through the circular por tions of the key-hole slots, causing a further tightening of the tie-rods, and the chains are then moved into the narrow portions of the key-hole slots where they become locked with the side rails. Thus, a constant downward pressure is exerted by the chains at the joints in the side rails, which pressure prevents upward breaking of the joints in the rails. The tightening of the chains also serves to apply a further tension to the fabric.

In order to fold the cot, the chains 13 are first released from their locking engagement with the side rails, and upward pressure is then applied to the side rails at the joints which causes the rails to assume the positions shown in Fig. 5. The fabric may then be removed from the posts and the frame can be folded by bringing the end posts and side rails into the positions shown in Fig. i. and then further folding the side rails, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

What I claim is:

1. A folding cot comprising side rails composed of channeled bars, and end posts, each side rail composed of two pivotally connected sections adapted to fold one with in the other with their channeled sides facing, the outer section having a part adapted to overlap the inner section when the sections are unfolded, one end of. each section pivoted to an end post intermediate its ends, and the end posts adapted to fold parallel with the side rail sections and against the backs thereof, and sectional tie-rods pivotally connected to the lower parts of the end posits and adapted to fold within the side ral s.

2. A folding cot comprising side rails composed of channel bars, and end posts, each side rail composed of two pivotally connected sections adapted to fold one within the other with their channeled sides facing, the outer section having a part adapted to overlap the inner section when the sections are unfolded, one end of each section pivoted to an. end post intermediate its ends, and the end posts adapted to fold parallel loo ill)

with the side rail sections and against the backs thereof, sectional tie-rods pivotally connected to the lower parts of the end posts and adapted to fold within the side rails, and connections between the central parts of the rails and the rods for drawing the latter toward the former. 3. A folding cot comprising side rails composed of channel bars, and end posts, each side rail composed of two pivotally connected sections adapted to fold one within the other with their channeled sides facing, the outer section having a part adapted to overlap the inner section when the sections are unfolded and having a slot adjacent the pivotal point of the sections, one end of each section pivoted to an end post intermediate its ends, and the end posts adapted to fold parallel with the side rail sections and against the backs thereof, sectional tie-rods pivotally connected to the lower parts of the end posts andadapted to fold within the side rails, and chains connected to the central parts of the tie-rods and extending through the slots in the side rails, for drawing the tie-rods toward the rails.

4. A folding cot comprising side rails and end posts composed of channel bars, each 30' side rail composed of two pivotally connected sections adapted to fold one within the other with their channeled sides facing, the outer section having a part adapted to overlap the inner section when the sections are unfolded, one end of each section pivoted within an end post and the end posts adapted to fold with their channeled sides fitting around the backs of the sections, and flexible ties connected to the lower parts of the end posts and adapted to fold within said posts and the side rails.

5. A folding cot comprising side rails and end posts composed of channel bars, each side rail composed of two pivotally connected sections adapted to fold one within the other with their channeled sides facing, the outer section having a part adapted to overlap the inner section when the sections are unfolded, one end of each section pivoted within an end post and the end posts adapted to fold with their channeled sidesfitting around the backs of the sections, and sectional tie-rods pivotally connected to the lower parts of the end posts and adapted to fold within said posts and the side rails.

6. A folding cot comprising side rails and end posts composed of channel bars, each side rails composed of two pivotally connected sections adapted to fold one within the other with their channeled sides facing, the outer section having a part adapted to overlap the inner section when the sections toward the former.

7. A folding cot comprising side rails and end posts, each side rail composed of two pivotally connected sections, one section having a part adapted to overlap the other section and to form a slight upward angle therewith when the sections are unfolded, one end of each section pivoted to an end post intermediate its ends, sectional tie rods pivotally connected to the lower parts of the end posts, and connections between the central parts of the rails and the rods for drawing the latter toward the former.

8. A folding cot comprising side rails and end posts composed of channel bars, each side rail composed of two pivotally connected sections adapted to fold one within the other with their channeled sides .facing, the outer section having a part adapted to overlap the inner section when the sections are unfolded, one end of each section pivoted within an end post-and the end posts adapted to fold with their channeled sides fitting around the backs of the sections, sectional tie-rods having their ends oppositely off-set and pivotally connected to opposite flanges rods for drawing the latter toward the,

former. v

In testimony whereof I. hereunto afiix my signature.

MANSELL A. DAVIS. 

